This Week’s Eats {Paleo Zuppa Toscana}
In an effort to start posting all the things I talk about sharing with you, I’m going to try adding a recipe to each Sunday’s meal plan post. Today I have one I’ve kind of already shared with you, but with a bit of a twist, because I paleoized it. Don’t fret if you’re not doing paleo—it’s nothing crazy and I promise it still tastes good! Plus, if you try it, there may be a new vegetable in it for you.
I got a bunch of delicious looking kale in our crate a couple weeks ago and didn’t feel like the old kale chips standby, so I made zuppa toscana. Only problem is that the original recipe calls for dairy and potatoes, neither of which are paleo. So, I subbed rutabagas for the potatoes (best sub for them so far, in my book), and just omitted the milk. I was going to sub coconut milk (and you can do that if you want), but I really didn’t think it needed it. (Another note: bouillon and even prepackaged chicken stock aren’t paleo, but I still use it, because I haven’t had the time or patience to figure out how to make my own; I never said we follow it to the “T”.)
This soup was da bomb dot com (are people still saying that?), and I’m making it again today just so I can freeze it and have it on hand for an emergency lunch.
(Paleo-ized) Zuppa Toscana
Ingredients:
1 pound ground Italian sausage
1½ tsp crushed red peppers (we like it hot)
1 large diced white onion
3 pieces of cooked bacon, crumbled (or use 4 Tbs precooked bacon pieces)
5 minced garlic cloves
10 cups water
+ 5 cubes of chicken bouillon (or use your own homemade stock)
1 pound diced rutabaga
1 cup coconut milk (optional; not pictured)
2 bunches of chopped kale, stems removed
Directions:
Sauté sausage and crushed
red pepper in large pot. Drain excess fat; set aside. In same pot, saute bacon, onions, and garlic
over low-medium heat for approximately 15 minutes or until onions are
soft and bacon is browning. Add chicken bouillon and water to pot (or stock); heat until it starts to
boil. Add rutabagas; cook until soft—about 25 minutes. *If you’re using milk, add it now; cook until thoroughly heated. Stir in sausage
and kale; heat thoroughly. Enjoy!
Sunday: SUPERBOWL!!! Baked Buffalo chicken thighs, kale chips, slow cooked barbecue lil’ smokies, and guacamole
Monday: Crock-pot orange chicken (from the Against All Grain
Tuesday: Braised Chicken in mushroom and artichoke sauce (from the Against All Grain
Wednesday: Green Chile Stew (subbing rutabagas)
Thursday: mango avocado salsa with some sort of crusted mahi-mahi, and a veggie
Friday: spaghetti (squash) and homemade meatballs (anyone have a great meatball recipe?)
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I like jicama and daikon too in some recipes with potatoes. 🙂 I think toscana is the creamy soup that best suits being "Paleo-ized". And I don't bother with stock either. That would be a barrier for so many of my recipes.
What makes pre-packaged chicken stock not paleo? I get the free range chicken broth for my soup bases – but then again, we aren't paleo 😉 Think I'll have to start adding a recipe for next week, if I can remember to.
The prepackaged stuff just has a lot of additional preservatives and flavorings added to it. I can't find the article I was reading about it earlier (was on my phone and then cleared all the pages literally about 5 minutes before I got this comment). It's not a gigantic deal to us since we're not ridiculously strict with paleo, but I wanted to put that in the post, because I didn't want someone calling me out for it not being totally paleo! My friend Natalie makes her own stock and I'm sure knows the health benefits for making your own (and if she sees this, I bet she could fill us in on it).
I'm going to see if I can get a menu up on my blog today. This is a great idea!!
BTW, what do you think of the Against The Grain cookbook??
Found ya from Vanessa!
Two things:
1- Here's my post on bone broth/stock – http://www.ovenloveblog.com/how-to-make-bone-broth/ – The easiest way I've found to make it is after I cook a whole plain chicken in the crockpot, I add the bones back to the crockpot after picking the bird clean. Then I add any veggies and herbs I have, some salt and peppercorns, and cover with water. I let it go on low overnight and then strain it in the morning. Not much hands on time involved!
2- For meatballs, to each pound of meat I add an egg, finely grated/processed onion and garlic, herbs or spices, and a tablespoon or two of coconut flour until the mixture comes together. Always yummy and doesn't taste coconutty!
I love zuppa toscana! I'll have to try this!
That soup looks DELICIOUS!
this looks super yummy!